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PALM BEACH
Palm Beach Was Built by Black Hands. History Should Say So.
Palm Beach Was Built by Black Hands. History Should Say So.
By Kendesi Mohammed
Palm Beach is often presented as a symbol of American wealth and exclusivity. Its manicured lawns, Mediterranean Revival mansions, and historic oceanfront resorts tell a story of vision, industry, and luxury. At the center of that narrative stands industrialist Henry Flagler, who extended his railroad empire into Florida and transformed a barrier island into a winter playground for the nation’s elite.
But there is another story beneath the marble floors and palm-lined avenues. Palm Beach was built by Black hands.
In the 1890s, thousands of Black laborers constructed the Florida East Coast Railway, the steel artery that made large-scale development in South Florida possible. They cleared land, laid track, and worked in punishing heat and hazardous conditions to connect the region to the rest of the country. Without that railroad, Palm Beach would likely have remained an inaccessible coastal outpost rather than a global destination.
These same workers helped build the grand hotels that defined the town’s early identity, including the legendary Royal Poinciana Hotel and The Breakers. Their labor transformed architectural ambition into physical reality. They poured foundations, framed structures, and maintained the grounds. After construction ended, many remained as cooks, housekeepers, porters, gardeners, and service staff. The luxury experience sold to wealthy visitors depended on their discipline, skill, and consistency.
Yet while Palm Beach expanded in beauty and prestige, the Black workers who built it were segregated into a community on the island known as The Styx. From the 1890s until 1912, more than 1,000 Black workers and their families lived there, near what is now North County Road and Sunrise Avenue. They created a functioning neighborhood with homes, churches, and social life. It was modest, but it was theirs.
In 1912, that community was forced to relocate.
As development pressures intensified and segregationist policies hardened, the residents of The Styx were pushed off the island to what is now Pleasant City in West Palm Beach. The removal was not framed as erasure, but its effect was just that. The workforce remained essential. The community itself did not.
Palm Beach’s official history has long centered visionaries and industrialists. Flagler’s role is undeniable. But vision without labor is only imagination. The railroad tracks, hotel beams, and service economy that turned Palm Beach into a world-class resort were made possible by Black workers whose names rarely appear in plaques or guided tours.
Black pioneers also shaped the broader county beyond physical labor. Figures such as Millie Gildersleeve helped establish early Black communities, contributing to civic life, land ownership, and local enterprise. Their impact extended beyond construction sites into the social and economic fabric of the region.
Why does this matter now?
Because how we tell the story of a place determines who belongs in it. When history highlights only wealth and omits labor, it reinforces the illusion that prosperity emerges from a single class of people. It obscures the truth that America’s most celebrated destinations were built through layered contributions, often by those denied full access to the benefits.
Acknowledging this history is not about diminishing anyone’s legacy. It is about completing it.
Palm Beach today remains a symbol of exclusivity and influence. But it is also part of a broader American story about race, labor, mobility, and displacement. The Black workers who built the railroad, constructed the hotels, and sustained the service industry were not background characters. They were central architects of the region’s rise.
If Palm Beach is to fully honor its past, it must embrace the totality of its origins. That includes commemorating The Styx, elevating the names of Black pioneers, and integrating their contributions into the mainstream narrative rather than confining them to footnotes.
Luxury may define Palm Beach’s image. Labor defines its foundation.
And the foundation deserves to be remembered.
